Nebulizers which produce a fine spray or mist have long been used in the treatment of various ailments and in the administration of medication. Moreover, masks have been developed which are connected in fluid communication with nebulizers and which are worn by the patient to more efficiently deliver the spray or mist to the nose and/or mouth of the patient. However, many nebulizing devices, such as a conventional nebulizer cup, require that the nebulizer be maintained in an upright position for proper operation, and, accordingly, when a conventional mask is used with the nebulizer, the patient must be in an upright position to maintain the nebulizer in an upright position. Whereas this poses no great problem where the patient is ambulatory, due to medical or physical reasons, many patients are unable to orient their bodies in the position necessary to maintain the nebulizer in the desired position. Certain masks heretofore introduced are disclosed in U.S. Letters Patent Nos. 3,236,236, 3,824,999, 4,274,406 and 4,461,292.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved mask for communicating with the outlet of a nebulizer and delivering the mist or spray produced by the nebulizer to the nose and/or mouth of a patient for inhaling.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a mask for a nebulizer in which the position of the mask can be selectively altered while the nebulizer is maintained in the desired upright position.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a mask for a nebulizer which is inexpensive to manufacture and maintain.